I have some exciting news! Yesterday I published Murder After Midnight, my first mystery novella in an unabashedly Agatha Christie style (now available on Amazon).
Now, to get into the spirit of the Grand Dame of Golden Age Murder, I asked each of my newsletter subscribers to send me the title of their favorite Christie—be it book, short story or play. To my surprise, I received more than 50 responses from all around the world.
I sifted through the lists of favorites (most readers couldn’t pick just one), and the results were a little surprising. As beloved as Jane Marple is to Christie’s fans, she only made this top ten once (although several of her books were mentioned, including Murder at the Vicarage and Sleeping Murder). Nearly every other, minor Christie protagonist was mentioned at least once by readers: Superintendent Battle, Parker Pyne, Harley Quinn and the pair of Tommy & Tuppence.
Of course, the list was dominated by the indomitable Hercule Poirot who claimed seven of the top ten spots. His classics—mysteries like The ABC Murders, Evil Under the Sun and Murder on the Orient Express—were clear favorites.
Outside of the top ten, there were several notable faves, including Death on the Nile, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Death Comes as the End. There were also a few, lesser-read surprises, including The Mystery of the Blue Train, Sad Cypress and Elephants Can Remember
Take a look at the list below and, if there’s one or two you haven’t read in a while, you can jump over to Amazon to pick up a copy in print or on Kindle.
1. Murder on the Orient Express
2. And Then There Were None
3. The ABC Murders
4. Hickory Dickory Dock
5. At Bertram’s Hotel
6. Evil Under the Sun
7. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
8. Hallowe’en Party
9. Curtain
10. The Seven Dials
Love a good murder? Be sure to take a stab at Thou Shalt Not Kilt, a traditional Southern cozy with Scottish flavor. For my latest news and book updates, follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and sign up for Mondays Are Murder, my weekly mystery newsletter — plus, you’ll get a free downloadable copy of Masters of Murder, my guide to the detectives and authors of mystery’s Golden Age!
